We Saved the World, I Say We Party
by Prosperina11
Summary: In the immediate aftermath of the events of Chosen, the survivors hole up in a desert motel and ... order pizza?
1. Part 1

**Part 1**

"Buffy. Buffy. Wake up."

"Humgf." Buffy pulled the pillow over her head and tried to burrow between the mattress and the headboard.

"Buffy!"

"What!" Buffy sat straight up in bed and knocked heads painfully with Dawn, who had been bent over her.

"Ow!" They said together, rubbing their new bruises.

Buffy squinted in the sunlight coming through the opening in the mauve and peach motel curtains. "What's going on?"

"We're going for pizza. Do you want to put in a request? Anchovies?" Dawn wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"No and no." Buffy rubbed her eyes. "I thought that you were going to have food delivered poolside. Wasn't that the rallying cry of the hordes? 'We saved the world so all delivery boys should flock to us, shirtless and bearing food'?"

"That's the plan. But Andrew said that his cuts were starting to sting from the chlorine so," Dawn shrugged, "foraging expedition."

"Plus, delivery boys aren't noted for their stunning physiques. Even Xander kept his shirt on while slinging pies."

Both turned to look at the sleeping form beside Buffy. Xander huffed a little, but didn't wake.

"I didn't think that Xander would want to miss the Slayer pool party," Dawn said. "But he's slept since yesterday. Should I check with him about the pizza?"

Buffy stretched and slid her legs over the side of the bed, slipping her feet into a pair of brand new sandals – really nice ones, jute soles with a daisy over the toes. "No, leave him be. First, I don't want him to wake and see you in _that_." Buffy waved her hand up and down at Dawn.

"Well, everyone had to buy swimsuits," Dawn said reasonably. "We kinda forgot to pack before we sucked our entire _house_ into hell. I didn't even have a toothbrush."

Buffy burst out. "It's a French cut bikini! - "

"Buffffeeeee - "

Xander grunted and both girls shushed, watching him.

"It's just _wrong_," Buffy continued in a whisper. "But I've started on this whole female empowerment kick, and I can't stop now, even if it means letting you expose yourself to every guy around."

"Well, _thanks_." Dawn folded her arms over her barely clad blue bosom. "And it's not like there are many guys here to see it. The motel manager has left us pretty well alone since Vi busted the vending machine that ate her quarters, and Giles is still at the hospital along with Principal Wood - Robin. I guess he can't be the principal if there isn't a school anymore – " She flipped her hair over her shoulder triumphantly. "So that just leaves Xander and Andrew. I think I'm safe."

"But you'll freak him out," Buffy said gesturing to Xander. "He really can't handle it right now not after Anya…"

"Buffy," Dawn said firmly. "Do you really think that me in a bikini would freak him out anymore than waking up to _that_?" She pointed.

Xander's head was pillowed on Faith's chest, rising and falling slowly with her breaths. Faith had stripped down to her tank and panties, the stiff motel blanket kicked away to the foot of the bed. Her arm was around Xander. Both were sleeping peacefully, unaware of their proximity to the other.

Buffy sighed resignedly and picked up her room key. "Nope." She went to the door and opened it for Dawn. "Let's go get pizza," she said and they left, closing the door gently behind them.


	2. Part 2

A/N: The subsequent parts were co-written with another author whose identity I will protect by calling her "Patience." Thanks, sweetie!

**Part 2**

Xander woke up slowly as new sensations made their way to his sleepy brain: really gross pastel curtains, a slightly stale smell, the sound of an overworked air conditioner clunking in the background. Slightly confused but calmed by the rhythm of breathing, Xander looked down the bed. Silver belly button stud, red lace underwear…WHAT? Xander shoved himself backwards, nearly tumbling off the bed.

"Uuph," grunted Faith in response to the elbow in her gut. "Get offa me!" Faith sat straight up, ready to fight. Xander just stared. As if the red lace thong wasn't enough, he could now see through Faith's white tank to her thong's matching red bra.

"You go to fight an apocalypse wearing THAT!" Xander gasped.

"Yeah, well. You know," Faith shrugged. "How'd we end up like this anyway?"

"Dunno," replied Xander, regaining his composure. "Where is everyone?"

"Must be out," said Faith. She began to ease herself out of bed. "Ouch," she grunted, discovering a new bruise. "I feel like I've slept for days."

Standing upright, Faith raised both of her arms over her head to stretch and Xander gaped, then looked quickly away. "Well, if you want to get in the shower or something…uhhhhh… go ahead," he managed.

Faith looked hard at him, then relaxed. "Guess I'll need to do some shopping today, since this is all I've got," she said, shrugging past Xander on the way to the bathroom.

Xander eased himself back onto the pillow as the events of the last day came flooding back with the sounds of running water. "Anya." He sighed and shook his head. Best ignore those feelings right now. His mind continued along the timeline - the end of the fight, the mad rush out of the school and the frantic drive out of Sunnydale. Then looking back at nothing: the entire town imploded and a giant gray crater marking the close of the Hellmouth. "And I couldn't even say goodbye." Did he say that out loud?

Xander got up and began to pace, empty closet to scarred outer door and back again. Last night. Oh, yeah. They had finally arrived at an outpost of civilization large enough to boast a hospital, a motel and a Pizza Hut about 2 hours after their last view of the Hellmouth. Principal Wood and the injured Potentials were deposited at the hospital with Giles who was to make whatever explanation he could to appease the doctors. The news channels were strangely mute regarding the suddenly lack of Sunnydale, California. It was almost as if had been wiped off the face of the earth without anyone to notice.

Xander sighed. Figures, he thought. Everyone smart left town a week ago and won't come back until they hear it's safe. With the news networks ignoring the new crater, former Sunnydale inhabitants won't start heading home until they get really curious. Xander ran his hands through his hair. He wouldn't want to be the one to have to concoct a story about what had happened to the town. Nor did he want to hear one. The truth was enough for him. Yet again, they saved the world. No credit. And no food either, Xander thought, as his stomach rumbled.

The water shut off and Faith emerged from the bathroom.

"What is it with motel towels?" she asked, trying to hold one closed. Faith moved around the bed, looking for clothes. She found her jeans, grimy with ash and blood, shook them out and shrugged. Since no one seemed to be around to lend anything, it was this or nothing. "I'm outtie," Faith announced after struggling into her filthy clothes. "Want anything?"

She got a strangled "No, thanks" from Xander who had been staring out the window, trying not think about the glass' reflective properties. The door slammed shut and she was gone.

No sooner had Xander started scrounging for his pants than the door burst open. In came a triumphant Dawn, holding out a Pizza Hut box, followed by – yee, gads – everyone: Andrew, Buffy, Willow and Kennedy. "You're up," Dawn exclaimed, holding out the pizza box. "Did you know you've been asleep forever?"


	3. Part 3

A/N: This installment was written with my dear friend Patience, who is far too busy to try to publish fanfiction on the internet. ;)

**Part 3**

Andrew's eyes widened. "Xander, where are your pants?"

"Here," Xander said hurriedly. "They're right…here." He plucked them from underneath the pile of blankets at the end of the bed. "See I said it - and they are - here." He pulled the pants on, swaying slightly as he drew them over each leg. Kennedy caught his eye, and Xander looked away hurriedly. She looked far too amused. "Pizza!" He said loudly, by way of changing the subject.

"Yup," Dawn said, holding the box just out of his reach. "But you have to come down to the pool to get some. I want to see you in the sunlight today."

Willow took a long slurp on her Big Gulp before speaking. "C'mon Xand, we need a sexy pirate as a lifeguard down there. You wouldn't believe the trouble we're having poolside." She wiggled her shoulders suggestively.

"Oh, God." Xander groaned. "I'm surrounded."

"But in a good way," Buffy said. "C'mon we'll just watch." She slipped her arm through Xander's and led the way out of the too-crowded motel room.

Dawn was the last to leave. "Hey, where's Faith?" she asked as Andrew held the door open for her.

"Away." Xander's voice floated up to her from the bottom of the concrete stairway to the pool area.

"I don't think he wants to talk about it," Andrew said in a loud whisper.

The rusted chain-link fence around the pool in the central motel courtyard was strewn with towels and t-shirts - all brand new and garish with their cartoon characters and junk food slogans. A dozen teenage girls splashed and shrieked in, out, and around the water, still basking in the glow of their newly awakened power.

"Ah, Buffy," Andrew began, "I think we're about to have a sunscreen emergency. Some of these girls just don't have the pigment to stay out in the sun all day."

Buffy frowned. "Since when am I in charge of provisioning the troops? You're the one who did the shopping."

"And may I say that you did an excellent job selecting swimwear," Xander said.

"Oh, thanks!" Andrew said, genuinely flattered.

"Maybe being a slayer gives you special UV protection," Dawn said. "Could be…" She flopped down in a cracked plastic lounge chair and opened the box of pizza on her lap.

"Where's the pizza?" Kennedy bellowed.

"The rest is coming around," Dawn said. She waved to the boxes that were already circulating. "Be patient."

"But I'm so hungry," Kennedy pouted as she sat down at one of the faded yellow tables and laid her head on her arms. "Why didn't anyone mention how being a slayer makes you so hungry?" Willow gently rubbed her shoulders and craned her neck around, looking for the nearest box.

"And horny. Don't forget horny," a voice called out. Willow's eyes widened.

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to the pool. "We didn't, Faith. No one forgot."

Faith grinned up from the inner tube where she sat with a slice of pizza in one hand and a beer in the other. "Just doin' my part. These kids are gonna need constant instruction about the finer points of the slayer lore."

Buffy smiled and shook her head. "I knew we could count on you." She turned her back to Faith and mouthed _Where'd she get the beer?_ to Willow who shrugged.

"Dunno. The manager seems to have a stash of them. He comes out of the office every so often, shakes his head, and pops open another one." Willow smirked a bit. "I don't think he likes us much."

Buffy grabbed a box for herself and sat down by the edge of the pool. She kicked off her sandals and rolled up the legs of her pants before dipping first one foot and then the other into the pool.

"Mind if I join you?" Xander asked. "I think you've got the pineapple-onion-pepper combo that I've been craving."

"I should hope not!" Buffy said. "I mean," she corrected hastily, "that vegetable disaster, not the joining. Have a seat. Share my – " she peeked into the box, " – pepperoni-mushroom-olive extravaganza."

"Thanks." Xander followed Buffy's example and rolled his pants to his knees, baring two pale, but hairy shins.

They ate silently for a few minutes, squinting in the sunlight and wiping their greasy hands on their clothes. Willow drifted lazily over on a yellow floatie. "Okay, so I got a question. We're all sleeping two and three to a bed. I get it. But why did Xander end up between the two Slayers? The two _experienced_ Slayers, I mean." Buffy gave her a questioning look and Willow backpedaled. "Not experienced like _experienced_, but I guess you could take it that way." Willow flashed a too-bright smile. "Okay, leaving now." And she paddled off.

"Hey, Willow," Xander called after her. "It's _warmer_. Slayers keep you warm, you should know. I bet you were pretty snug yourself."

"Okay, you can stop now. I get it." She smiled sweetly. "I don't get to tease you."

Buffy rubbed Xander's arm gently. It was unspoken between them why Xander had been so cold. And they had all felt it. He had passed among them that night as a gust from the winter they had left behind months ago.

But Buffy was warm. The hand she had laid on Xander's arm still burned, though it was unmarked by any sign of Spike's fingers. They should be red or tender or _something_. But they weren't.

"Did you wonder yet," Xander began, and Buffy jerked her hand off of his arm, startled out of her thoughts. "Why it was them? Why our demons didn't make it? I did notice that Anya and Spike had one thing in common." He gave her a little sidelong glance.

"Anya was human," Buffy said automatically.

"Ish. And you know what I mean."

Buffy was silent for a time. "Yeah, I've thought about it," she said and then stopped.

Xander waited. "And…?"

"And I don't know. If this was a book or a movie or something, it would be symbolic or something. That they had to die in service of humanity in order to reclaim what they had lost or something."

Xander thought about this. "That's deep. But here's a thought: maybe it doesn't mean anything. They weren't the only ones who died. Amanda, Claire, Juliet, and I don't even know all their names - they're gone too. We could go as far back to Annabelle and Chloe. They were human. It was a fact. We weren't all gonna make it. It just so happened that those that were 'more than human' were among the ones who didn't." He shrugged. "It didn't mean anything."

"I don't think so," Buffy said slowly. "He – he was the only one who could have done that."

"You can say his name, Buffy."

"Okay, then. _Spike_ had to be the one who – I don't even really know what happened. I know he's gone. I can feel it, but I didn't see him end. I can't be sure that he isn't down there somewhere, trying to claw his way out of a billion tons of earth and town."

"Andrew saw it. He told me. But I should have gone back. I should have found her. What if she wasn't really dead? And I left her."

"You didn't leave her. She made her choice."

"I know."

"And it did mean something. We don't have to figure it out today, Xand." Buffy put her hand back on his arm.

They sat quietly for a few moments listening to the voices around them. Then, over the shrieking and splashing came another noise. It was the grinding of gears and roaring of their faithful steed: the Sunnydale School bus. Giles had returned from the hospital.


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

The school bus skidded to a stop with a trail of gravel from the poorly paved parking lot. Everyone turned to watch through the fence as Giles emerged and wiped a hand across his forehead. "Bloody well needs air conditioning," he muttered as he helped Jackie off the bus. With her arm in a cast and a nasty no-longer-quite-black eye, Jackie looked a bit battered, but happy.

"Pizza!" she cried excitedly. "And beer!" more excitedly. Instead of walking to the gate, she hopped the fencewith ease,despite having the use of only one arm, and snagged a can from a table.

Buffy turned to see Faith raise her Bud in a distracted salute. With her other hand, Faith steered herself to the edge of the pool and climbed out, heading for Giles.

"Towel…" Dawn gasped. Recalling the combination of red underwear and wet white tank top, Faith paused to grab a towel before approaching Giles.

Buffy patted Xander on the arm and jumped up to intercept Jackie. Smiling, she dumped the beer into the trash with one hand and held out an anchovy pizza with the other. Jackie gave her a look of disgust. "Just because you…" Jackie trailed off as she grabbed a slicebeforeflopping down on an orange striped lawn chair to glare at Buffy.

"So…shopping?" asked Willow brightly. "Now that we have transport, maybe it would be a good idea to make good on our original idea and shop."

"And where would we do that?" asked one of the Potentials, rolling her eyes as she flipped over on the lounge chair. "Raid the hospital again?"

"Hey! Hospital gowns are cool," Andrew interjected and then looked at the ground as many pairs of adolescent eyes glared at him.

"We've exhausted this town," Kennedy shrugged at Willow. "Hospital, Pizza Hut, Seven-Eleven. That's it. What do you want to shop for? Mad Magazine and YooHoo?"

"Slayer healing powers at their best," Buffy said quietly to Willow. "They're bored already."

"I don't blame them," replied Willow. "Magically or spiritually or whatever, they have a lot more energy than they used to..." She trailed off as her attention switched to Gilesand Faith, who conversed with in low tones as they bwalked through a rip in the fence to join Buffy and Willow.

"Everyone is as well as can be expected," Giles answered their unasked question. "We'll be here a bit longer though, with Robin's recovery, and the doctors think it might take another week in order to get the worst back to traveling condition. Granted, they don't understand Slayer strength, but…. Another day, another discharge though. That's the best news." Giles smiled weakly.

"A week…." Willow trailed off.

"We could always start training again," Buffy smiled wickedly.

"I took the liberty of asking some of the nurses where…ahhh…the best places to shop are." Giles said. "There's a fairly large mall about an hour south."

"Good news," Willow said. "Although I wouldn't want to contemplate your May credit card bill, Giles."

Giles blinked and shook his head.

"You're tired, and probably hungry," Buffy said. "Why don't you head in for a bit? You've certainly been doing more than your share watching over everyone at the hospital and you even remembered the shopping!"

"But…. I promised I'd take Faith to the hospital to see Wood."

"But me no buts!" replied Willow. "Kennedy! You can drive the bus, right? Why don't you and Dawn head up a shopping party? You can drop Faith off at the hospital on your way."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Giles whispered to Buffy.

"You need rest; they're getting restless. Seems like a reasonable solution to me."

Kennedy stood up. "Ladies!" she called. "Let's shop! Everyone get as dressed as you can and meet here in 15 minutes."

Dawn and the Potentials scattered to their respective rooms to dry off.

"You can take Xander's bed. I _think_ they cleaned the room," Buffy called. "Room 212. Bed closest to the window. We'll keep things under control." Giles smiled gratefully at Buffy and Willow and stood up to leave.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other. "Peace at last," Willow smiled.

It was Andrew's and Xander's turnto exchange glances, Xander still dangling his legs in the pool, Andrew floating lazily on a full size light-blue inflatable raft. "Oooh, private Slayer-Witch talk," said Andrew.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Hey buddy, how about a trip to the Seven-Eleven to see if they have comic books or girlie mags?" this last said with an apologetic grimace toward Willow and Buffy.

"But I like the sun…." Andrew started to whine. "It's warm on my….oh. Okay, then I want a Big Gulp." Andrew paddled to the side and tried to pull himself from the raft directly onto the concrete. He failed, simultaneously sliding off the raft into the water with a sploosh and banging his elbow on the concrete. "Owwww…."

"C'mon Andrew. Let's go."

Willow nudged Buffy with her elbow. "How does two lounge chairs, a warm Coke and cold pizza sound to you?" she asked.

"Perfect," replied Buffy and both stood and moved to the east edge of the pool to face the early afternoon sun.


	5. Part 5

A/N: I must continue to credit Patience with her part in writing this story. ;)

**Part 5**

"Okay, I absolutely do not want to hear anything about 'slayer stamina' from you," Buffy said, holding out her hand as if to pre-empt any personal disclosures of the most intimate kind from Willow.

"Please! As if any of us have been able to find enough privacy to change our clothes, let alone try out…" Willow's tirade ground to a halt. "Well, I won't say anything further. I don't want to offend your delicate sensibilities." She flopped into her chair with a huff.

"Thanks," Buffy said dryly.

"What's this big obsession with slayers anyway? It's 'slayer this' and 'slayer that' ever since we boarded that big yellow bus. I don't see what the big deal is," Willow said with a half-grin.

"Alright, alright. I'm eating now. And I too am sick of hearing about slayers. Only I got tired of that word, oh about four months before I met you." Buffy punctuated this remark by taking an enormous bite out the slice of pizza she had pulled out of a half-empty box.

Willow took a slice also, and they chewed for a few minutes while they listened to the brushy plantings rustle around the pool as the wind off the desert started to pick up. Buffy sighed deeply and took another slice. It would be so easy to just stay in this moment: pizza, Willow, sun, sand. But her mind kept sliding backward and forward, reviewing and wondering. She wasn't worrying. Buffy knew that the lightness she felt in her herself was real and true. She wasn't afraid. Their triumph had been complete. There was loss. Always loss. She wasn't avoiding reality. But her mind needed to roam.

Buffy kicked off her sandals and leaned back in the lounge chair, folding her hands over her now tender stomach. The sun hit her face and she closed her eyes.

When they had arrived at the motel on that night, the first night, even the high spirits of the newly awakened superheroes had become subdued by the hours of nursing the wounded, followed by the staring lights of the hospital where they had left those in the worst shape. At the motel, the room keys had been passed out and claimed before Buffy had remembered.

"Can we make long distance calls from the rooms," she asked the manager.

"Nope. Not unless you've got a calling card." He scratched his belly and watched the seemingly unending parade of nubile girls as they drifted up past the office and up the stairs.

Not likely. Buffy didn't have her wallet. Heck, she didn't even have a calling card in her wallet at the bottom of the crater that she had consigned her entire hometown to.

"You can use the pay phone 'round the corner." He jerked his thumb towards the sign marked 'Vending.'

"Right," Buffy said. She turned and caught Faith's questioning eye. "Angel," she said and Faith nodded.

"I'll come too, if you don't mind." Faith actually seemed to be waiting for Buffy's answer.

"No, it's okay. We can both explain."

Buffy found herself in front of the ice machine, trying to remember the right numbers to punch in on the dirt-encrusted pay phone. She turned to Faith. "Help me out here."

Faith shrugged. "I don't have the slightest. You were always the responsible one. But I'll give it a try." She stepped up and took the receiver. "It's ringing," she said and held out the phone to Buffy.

Buffy hesitated.

"Come on, B. You've gotta be the first one. If he hears my voice, he'll think I'm calling to say that you didn't make it. Take it." She shoved the receiver at Buffy again.

Faith had a point. Buffy held the phone up to her ear just in time to hear the _click_ of the answering machine. She listened and then hung up. "He's – they're not there anymore. There's another number." Buffy dialed again. This time it was picked up on the first ring. " – Hi, is this? – yes, Angel. Can I – he's there? Yes, I'll hold." Buffy put her hand over the mouthpiece. "They put me on hold. What's up with that?"

Faith shrugged. "His operation wasn't too organized when I was there. Maybe they got their act together."

"Buffy." Angel's voice came on the phone and Buffy's insides twisted.

"How did you know it was me?" Buffy blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"You don't want to know."

"Probably not. Uhm, look. About that second front, you won't be needing it. We did it."

"I knew you would."

"You did not. _I_ didn't even know until – " Buffy remembered her moment of certainty. "Sunnydale's gone. It fell in like the biggest sinkhole you've never heard of."

"I've been getting reports about it. But it's good to know that you meant to do that."

Buffy didn't know where to start. "You're getting reports? And that wasn't _entirely_ our intention." She heard her voice rise and fought to calm down a bit. "Whatever. We made it."

"Everyone? Dawn? And Faith?" Angel's voice switched to concern.

"Yes, Dawn's fine. And Faith. But not everyone made it." Buffy stopped. "He wore the amulet. He's dead."

"I'm sorry."

Buffy felt Faith step up beside her, a silent offer of support. "Anya's gone too. And Amanda. But you never met her." Her voice was getting more and more quiet. She could see Faith motioning beside her. "We did it," she said softly. "Here's Faith."

Faith took the phone. "Hey, there Big City Vampire. – Yeah, she's okay. We're all just tired. – The whole gang made it. Yup, even the One-Eyed-Wonder. – What? You didn't hear?" She laughed softly.

Buffy wandered away, hugging herself as the cool desert wind kicked up. The pool area was silent, but the voices of the newly-wakened slayers drifted slowly to Buffy. She stood there for a time before Faith's voice called her back.

"Hey, B. Let's go see where they've got us bunked."

Together they mounted the stairs to the rooms and came to the first open door.

"I can't believe that he's asleep already." It was Vi, standing over the already prone body of Xander. He lay where he had fallen, smack in the middle of the bed next to the window. "We're supposed to be _sharing_."

Buffy and Faith exchanged a glance. "We'll take care of it, Vi," Faith said. "Go get yourself settled."

Vi shrugged and breezed past them out the door. Buffy took in the other occupants of the room: three newbie slayers arrayed over the other bed and the floor, Dawn in the cot, and Andrew sacked out in the bathtub.

Faith grinned at Buffy. "Looks like as good a place as any." Together Buffy and Faith peeled back the bedding on Xander's bed, removing his jeans and flannel shirt in the process. Then, they shed their own extraneous clothing and slid into bed beside him. Xander neither woke nor stirred.

Buffy caught Dawn watching them. "Not one word," she admonished her sister with a half-smile before sleep overtook her.

"Buffy?" Willow asked hesitantly. "Are you asleep?"

"Nope, just lazing about a little. Thinking." Buffy opened her eyes.

"You were smiling a bit. I hope I didn't interrupt a happy thought." Willow wiggled her eyebrows to punctuate her words.

"Not really." Buffy shifted so she was sitting upright again.

"I did want to ask… Or maybe we can just wait – if you're enjoying the moment." Willow fumbled to a stop.

"No, talk."

"Are we – okay?" Willow pressed her lips tightly together and tried again. "After what happened when you – left?"

"You mean, when you all ganged up on me and kicked me out of my own house?" Buffy saw the remorse and worry in Willow's eyes, so she continued hastily. "Yeah, I think we're okay. Or we will be now that I don't have to be Generalissimo Buffy."

"I just wanted to check because it's been almost as if it never happened. You came back with that scythe and bang! we had to fight. We never had a chance to heal or even talk." Willow's voice started to rise in that familiar anxious-Willow way.

"Okay, we'll talk." Buffy tucked up her feet and angled herself towards Willow.

"Er…" Willow licked her lips.

"Or we can just wait 'til we have something to say…"

"That might be best," Willow said with relief. "More pizza?"

"Past it over," Buffy said and then she smiled.


End file.
